GAZA: Israel opened a direct crossing for aid into Gaza for the first time yesterday in its more than two-month-old war on Hamas while also stepping up attacks on the Palestinian enclave, saying military pressure was the only way its hostages would be freed.

The Israeli attacks took place amid fierce fighting the length of the coastal strip, according to residents and fighters, with communications down for a fourth day, making it hard to reach the wounded.

“The communication blackout in #Gaza is the longest since the start of the Israeli escalation,” the Palestinian Red Crescent said on X, adding that its teams were also hampered by shelling.

Telecommunications were gradually being restored in central and southern areas, telecoms companies said later Moreover, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has called for “unconditional continued aid entry” into Gaza as the humanitarian situation spirals into the besieged enclave, where 1.9 million Palestinians have been displaced due to Israeli war.

At least 4,637 trucks have entered the coastal strip through the Rafah crossing from October 21 till December 16 and 60% of them were for the PRCS.

However, the humanitarian organization says that the aid received has not met even 10% of the needs. Deploring the reported killing by the Israeli military of two Christian women who had taken refuge in a church complex, Pope Francis Sunday suggested Israel was using “terrorism” tactics in Gaza.

At his weekly blessing, the Pope referred to a statement about an incident on Saturday by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Catholic authority in the Holy Land.

Meanwhile, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step down as the country’s premier after losing the trust of the people of Israel, of the world and of the security establishment, reported Al Jazeera. Lapid’s remarks come amid growing criticism of PM Netanyahu who has been under the spotlight for his handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

At least 92 journalists have been killed in the ongoing Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, the government media office in the besieged Palestinian enclave said on Sunday. In a statement, the office said the latest fatalities were journalists Rami Badir and Assem Kamal Musa, who was killed in Israeli raids during the past two days.

The Patriarchate said an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) “sniper” killed the two women, whom the pope named as Nahida Khalil Anton and her daughter Samar, as they walked to a convent of nuns in the compound of the Holy Family Parish.

“I continue to receive very grave and painful news from Gaza,” the Pope said adding, “Unarmed civilians are the objects of bombings and shootings. And this happened even inside the Holy Family parish complex, where there are no terrorists, but families, children, people who are sick or disabled, nuns.”

Meanwhile, two Egyptian security sources said on Sunday that Israel and Hamas are both open to a renewed ceasefire and hostage release, although disagreements remain on how it would be implemented.

Egypt and Qatar, which had previously negotiated a week-long ceasefire and hostage release, insisted on expediting aid and the opening of the Kerem Abu Salem crossing before any negotiations could begin, the sources said.

While the crossing was open, they said that aid was being delayed by inspections and had still not entered Egypt.

The office did not provide details regarding the circumstances of the journalists’ deaths.

Published in The Daily National Courier, December, 18 2023

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